The House voted 316-107 to approve $5 million a year over the next five years for research and recovery programs to be run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey for the southern sea otters along the coast of California.

In 1977, the southern sea otter was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Currently about 2,800 of the marine mammals survive along the California coast.

Under the bill, experts would study and seek to mitigate causes of high sea otter mortality, which are thought to include malnutrition, shark attacks, entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes, shooting and proliferation of harmful algae.

"If the sea otters are dying, then something else is happening that is very keen to the coastal near-shore environment that affects the well-being of mankind," said Democratic Rep. Sam Farr, who represents a California district. He sponsored the legislation.

The marine turtle bill extends for five years a program that also provides $5 million a year to save the reptiles, which also have been endangered by the destruction of nesting habitats, poaching, entanglement in marine debris, ship strikes and pollution.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Henry Brown, passed 354-72. Both bills now go to the Senate.

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The turtle bill is H.R. 509.

The sea otter bill is H.R. 556.

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